Dreamland (BDSM)

Chapter Three

The pit of dread didn't start to set in until it was time for James to pick me up. I could feel it setting in deep in my gut, trying to weigh my body down, to stop me from doing anything outside of my norm. I felt like I was cheating on Nate, like I was betraying him. Should I wait for him to come back to me? Would he realize that I was just trying my best for him, that I could be better. That he wouldn't have to punish me if I could just keep myself in line. Maybe this time would be different. Maybe this time he wouldn't have to hurt me. Maybe this time he could just love me the way I need to be loved.

My thoughts were cut short by a knock on my door, most likely James. I opened the door, letting him into my apartment and shutting the door behind me. He looked around almost quizzically, his eyes searching the walls.

"How long have you lived here?"

"Almost a year."

"You never decorated."

I turned to him, a smug smile on my face.

"If I remember correctly, your office was pretty bland, but you didn't hear me complaining."

He returned my smug smile

"I don't live in my office. In fact, I hardly spend any time in there. I mostly use it for primary consultations. Most of the time, I take patients out into reality so that we can work through their issues. Are these your bags?"

He gestured toward the two duffels I had set against the wall, slinging one over each shoulder and looking back at me.

"If you're ready, let's go."

I took one last look around, honestly not caring if I never saw this place again. I don't know why, but I had never really felt at home here.

I followed him out of the apartment and out to his car, getting into the passenger seat and waiting for him to put my bags in the back and get into the driver's side.

His house was just outside of the city, nestled in a quaint and quiet neighborhood. This didn't seem like somewhere a murderer would live, which helped to calm my nerves. I stepped over his doorway, letting his close the door behind me.

"I'll show you to your room. I didn't have much time to put it together, so it's pretty much just my guest room. Let me know if there is anything you need and I will get it for you."

He lead me down the hallway, the walls lined with different landscapes. He caught me looking at them, stopping in front of one of them.

"These are all photos I have taken. This one, for example, I took in Alaska."

It was of an almost completely white mountain, the base a deep brown color. We kept walking, with him finally opening a door at the end of the hall and setting my bags on the end of the bed.

"I'll let you settle in, and then why don't you come on back to the kitchen and you can help me make dinner. Over dinner we can discuss how all of this will work and we'll finalize some of the details of this endeavor."

He walked out, leaving me to unpack my clothes into the dresser and line my toiletries on the shelf in the shower. I sat against the wall in the bathroom for a minute, my mind beginning to race.

So far, everything seemed to be okay. He seems to be normal, caring. But, so did Nick. For the first few months Nick had seemed like the greatest guy in the world. He would text me every day, surprise me at school with lunch or something to do. Everything seemed perfect, until it wasn't. So how long would I have with James before he started to show who he really was? A month? Two?